ARA Granville (P-33)
| Ship namesake = Guillermo Enrique Granville | Ship laid down = 1 December 1978 | Ship launched = 28 June 1980 | Ship purchased = | Ship commissioned = 22 June 1981 | Ship operator = | Ship status = | Ship homeport = Mar del Plata }} |module2= |Ship beam = |Ship draught = |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=2× SEMT Pielstick 12 PC 2.2 V400 diesels, 2× CP propellers |Ship speed= |Ship range= at |Ship endurance=15 days |Ship complement=5 officers, 79 enlisted, 95 berths |Ship sensors= Thales DRBV 51A air/surface search Thales DRBC-32E fire control Consilium Selesmar NavBat Thales Diodon hull MF sonar |Ship EW = Thales DR 2000 S3 Thales Alligator 51 jammer 2× Matra Dagaie decoys |Ship armament =4× MM38 Exocet anti-ship missiles 1× 100 mm/55 Mod.1968 dual purpose gun 1× twin Bofors 40 mm L/70 AA guns 2× 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns 2× .50cal Colt M2 machine guns 2× triple 324 mm ILAS-3 tubes (WASS A-244S torpedoes) |Ship aircraft = none |Ship aircraft facilities=small pad for VERTREP }} }} ARA Granville (P-33) is a ''Drummond'' class corvette of the Argentine Navy. She is named after Guillermo Enrique Granville, a hero of the Battle of Juncal against Brazil. She is currently based at Mar del Plata and conducts fishery patrol duties in the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone where she has captured several trawlers in recent years. According to reports in November 2012 the Drummond class “hardly sail because of lack of resources for operational expenses”. Service history The first two ships of the ''Drummond'' class were built in 1977 in France for the South African Navy. The sale was embargoed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 418 during sea trials and the ships were sold to Argentina instead. A third ship was ordered and entered service as ARA Granville on 22 June 1981, in time for the Falklands War ( ) the following year. There are minor differences in equipment fit compared to her sisters, for instance the Granville has French Degaie decoys rather than the British Corvus chaff launchers. On 28 March 1982 she sailed with her sister [[ARA Drummond (P-31)|ARA Drummond]] and took up station northeast of Port Stanley to cover the main amphibious landings on 2 April. After the attack she operated north of the Falklands with her sister ships as Task Group 79.4, hoping to catch ships detached from the British taskforce.Freedman (2005), p. 272 On 29 April the corvettes were trailed by [[HMS Splendid (S106)|HMS Splendid]] whilst she was looking for the Argentine carrier [[ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (V-2)|ARA 25 de Mayo]], but they managed to outrun the British submarine.Freedman (2005), p. 274 Granville carried the P-3 pennant number until the introduction of the Espora class corvettes in 1985 when she became P-33. In 1994, Granville and her sisters participated in Operation Uphold Democracy, the United Nations blockade of Haiti. During this time, she was based at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico. References Further reading * Guia de los buques de la Armada Argentina 2005–2006. Ignacio Amendolara Bourdette, ISBN 987-43-9400-5, Editor n/a. (Spanish/English text) External links * Argentine Navy official site, specifications and brief history (in Spanish) Category:Drummond-class corvettes Category:Ships built in France Category:1981 ships Category:Active corvettes of Argentina